At Least My Voice Won't Crack
by BaSingTei
Summary: When you are the youngest Paladin, as time passes, you start to grow into what will be your adult body. That doesn't happen overnight nor is it convenient in any way. And Pidge isn't the only one to notice. Clothing not fitting anymore, odd mood swings, weight gain in mysterious places, getting a little bit taller. It all sucks. But hey, at least her voice won't crack.
1. Chapter 1

Being 15 is no different from being 14, only one year older and none the wiser. Nothing was different. Nothing magical happened on her birthday, mid June Earth-time. She didn't grow an extra few inches over night, but she was changing. Blooming so slowly no one took notice. Minus the only other female in the vicinity.

It was now around early September for them and they had been together for a year. Pidge was in the hangar messing with the controls on Red, giving every lion an upgrade as requested. Hunk joined her of course, helping with the math of it all and considering he had picked up Altean very well. At least written Altean. Speaking it was a nightmare.

Allura was spying on them, getting odd vibes from her lately and trying to find the root cause of it. She shouldn't really have been spying on the Paladins, rather leave them to their own devices. But she didn't know a lot about humans and watching them from the shadows proved interesting so far for Lance and Keith, she figured something interesting might come out of Pidge.

The two humans, completely oblivious to the spy, continued to work. Her hair had grown a considerable amount, layered and at her shoulders but still rather thick. She took a tie she has stolen from Allura and stuffed her hair into a tiny ponytail-puff. Pidge reached up, trying to climb on top of Red's already lowered head and Hunk laughed.

"Here." He said and laced his fingers together to give her a boost. She put her foot in his hands and he launched her up, feeling his arms strain.

"Whoa, you're getting heavy." He huffed, relived when she found purchase of the smooth metal head.

"Gee, thanks." She grumbled climbing up behind the ears. Hunk blushed.

"No, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's fine. I know you didn't mean it like that." She held her hand out for the tools she needed and Hunk passed her up the box and her laptop. "I know you wouldn't mean that." She arranged the tools around her in a semi circle for easy access and touched a panel open behind Red's left ear. "Just another reminder that my clothes are fitting weird."

"You clothes?" Hunk asked from the ground.

"Yeah, it's dumb but my pants and shirts don't fit right. I might have to visit that space mall again and buy some new clothes." Her voice was distant, focusing on a million things at once.

"Oh, can I come? I am always up for a shopping trip!"

Pidge laughed and nodded. "We'll just have to either convince Allura to take us or at least open a wormhole for us. I don't know how to explain it to her though…"

"What? You think Alteans don't go through…"

"Of course they go through puberty." She snapped with a frown on her face. "But I guarantee it's different for them then it is us."

"It sucks, that's for sure." He said and folded his arms.

"Preaching to the choir man." She smiled and they went into alterations talk.

Evidently the update the red lion needed was a new and even faster targeting system. Keith was finding targets before she was and it was just common sense for the lion to be as fast if not faster than her Paladin. It took them about half an hour eventually it was done. Pidge packed up her stuff and passed it on to Hunk, coming down last. He reached out to help her.

"I got it. Down is easier." She climbed down and grabbed the edges or Red's jaw and whatever else she could reach, her shirt catching on the metal to reveal the majority of her midriff, her pants barely handing off her hips. Hunk blushed and looked away but Allura didn't miss anything and smiled to herself. Pidge landed on the firm ground with a satisfying sigh and reached up to pat Red, her shirt coming up a bit.

"You should be good to go girl. Thanks for being patient." She smiled and turned to Hunk, lowering her arm. She saw his red face and raised an eyebrow. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing! Ugh, let's get this cleaned up." He paused and leaned down to organize the tools. "Last thing I need is for Coran to steal my tools again."

"Yeah, what would you ever do if you couldn't toy with something?" She laughed and grabbed her laptop, his face turning red again. She looked to him and scrunched her nose. "Why are you being weird?"

"I'm not." He lied and focused on getting the tools in their proper place.

"Hunk, you suck at lying. Is something wrong?" She asked, closing her laptop. He looked up at her and stood up, realizing he didn't have to look down at her as much. He came closer to her and pressed his hand on the top of her head, pushing through her fluffy hair to get to her scalp and ran his hand straight over to him, measuring her. His hand landed on his chest, about two inches lower than his chin.

"You got taller too. What did that happen?"

"Probably the same time I gained the weight and my clothes stopped fitting." She scoffed.

"Well, if it comes down to it, I can alter some of my shirts for you and you can steal some of Keith's pants. Unless you want to wear a yellow sundress." He smiled and she laughed.

"Dresses aren't that functional in space, but I do miss them. Pants suck sometimes." Hunk started to ramble about what kind of alterations he could make to everyone's spare clothes for her and they walked out of the hanger together. Allura was scheming.

"I've been told you need some new clothes?" Allura surprised Pidge in the corridor, alone. Pidge folded her arms.

"Either you have been spying on me like the others or your mice did it for you."

Allura went pink. "How… how did you know about the others?"

Pidge shrugged and walked closer to her. "We're aliens to you. You are a sucker for new information like me, but you have a need to know our human dynamic because it could affect the team. Do you honestly think I wouldn't figure it out?"

Allura paused and folded her own arms over her chest. "I prefer 'collecting information' but yes, I was curious. And it seems rude to ask outright. You all are so sensitive about your bodies and its functions."

Pidge looked around and sighed. "We can have this talk and I will tell you all you need to know, but not here. Somewhere private."

Allura's eyes lit up and she grabbed Pidge's hand, dragging her away through the corridors to her room. When the door was closed behind them, Allura had an evil look in her eyes.

"Sit! We have so much to talk about."

Pidge sighed and sat on a chair in her room, Allura sitting across from her on the bed.

"It would be easier for you to ask what you want to know rather than me give a whole anatomy class right now."

"Are you sure?" She asked cautiously.

"Yeah, it's just the human body."

Allura paused and leaned back on her hands. "I was mostly going to ask questions about you personally. I know about how it works but... you are the only person on board going through these large changes."

"It's not that bad. Try having a period in an all-boy dormitory and keeping it secret for months. That's hard."

Allura perked up. "Oh, I didn't know you were already going through that human phase."

Pidge just nodded and put her arms behind her head. "Two years ago."

"Anything else you are currently going through?"

Pidge looked up to the ceiling and thought about it. "Well you already know about the clothes, and apparently I've grown a few inches. My suit always fits perfectly so I never notice unless I'm in my own casual clothes."

"Do you want to try some of my clothes from when I was younger?"

Pidge grimaced. "No offence princess, but I'm not really into ball gowns."

"I have casual wear. I just dress as a princess of Altea should." She smiled and got up, walking over to her enormous closet. Pidge followed her and they went into the back, finding a few shirts, some pants, shorts, and some dresses that were very simple and knee length. Pidge picked out what she liked and they carried it all to the bed. She grabbed a pale blue dress first and put it in front of her and reached for the button on her pants.

"Oh, should I leave?" Allura asked. Pidge let her pants fall to the ground.

"Nah. You're a girl too and besides, Lance has seen me naked before."

Allura looked appalled. "What?!"

Pidge laughed as she took off her glasses. "Long story short, I am glad I have my own private shower now." She slipped her shirt over her head and tossed her shirt to the side. She admired the dress in front of her and imagined the fabric would feel soft. She was just about to put it on when Allura cleared her throat.

"What?" She asked and turned her head.

"Pidge… you don't-" She was trying to find the words so as to not be rude. "You don't wear a bra?"

"I don't have to; I'm small enough where I can get away with not wearing one."

"Pidge, look down and say that again."

She was confused and looked down, not seeing anything different. She shrugged and Allura pulled her towards a mirror. That's when Pidge noticed. She reached a hand up to size herself and a small panic came across her face, both hands on her chest.

"What the hell?! When did that happen?" It wasn't a question, more or less confusion. She kept remembering when her hands could cover her completely, but now soft rounded flesh peaked around each finger, no longer able to hide her chest with just her hands. "Shit… oh man." She turned to Allura in full panic. "What do I do? I don't have anything! I didn't need it when we left earth and I didn't exactly have time to plan or buy any! Oh god…" Her panic was spiraling. "Hunk. Oh my God. Hunk noticed. He saw. Oh my God."

"Pidge!" Allura said with her hands on her shoulders. "We'll get this sorted out just breathe."

She groaned and fell backwards onto the pile of clothes. She felt like crying and screaming at the same time. Instead she just covered her face.

"Look, you and I can sneak off later when everyone is asleep and go to the nearest place what would sell something you can use. A lot of races actually use garments like you and I so it wouldn't be that hard."

"Princess…" She uncovered her face and looked over at her. "I don't exactly have enough money for a whole new wardrobe. What are we gonna do?"

"Well, actually I've been collecting money here and there but I really have no need for it. I could give it to you. If that's okay."

Pidge nodded and groaned again. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"Oh Pidge, it's not your fault."

"I know this whole thing is just so stupid and embarrassing." She thought of Hunk's blush again and wanted to die a bit. Allura, being the wonderful person she was, decided to press a button.

"If Lance has seen you bare why does it matter what hunk has seen?"

Pidge went deep red.

"Lance saw me just a few days after he found out I was a girl! Before all of this stupid stuff started happening! I used to be a flat short stick! It didn't matter then! Plus, I mean its Lance, it doesn't matter anyways."

"Why does it matter if it's Hunk then?" She asked with an evil grin and Pidge groaned again, curling into herself defensively as her only answer. Allura patted her head and sighed, changing the subject.

"We'll go together and figure out what you need. In the mean time, try on the dress."

In the middle of the night, as promised, she met Allura in the escape pod bay. They got in together and took off, leaving a note on the bridge that they were gone and would be back soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Pidge knew that Allura would be in the pod closest to the hanger door so she had no problem jumping into the pod in the dark. She saw a figure next to her and they whispered to each other so she knew it was her. They took off and the wormhole was opened quickly, letting them disappear into space. It wasn't until they exited the wormhole near a star and a planet that Pidge looked next to her.

"Ah!" She yelled and backed herself up towards the side of the pod. Allura looked to her.

"What's wrong Pidge?"

"What are you wearing? And what did you do to yourself?"

Allura looked down and sighed.

"I can't exactly look a princess if we're going to get through this mall unnoticed. And no one had ever seen you in casual wear so they won't know that you're a paladin. It only made sense."

Pidge looked her over and counted off the details. Not only had she stolen pants from Lance and a black shirt from Shiro, of which was so loose on her that she had to tie it in a knot at her midriff, she had on sneaker-like shoes she was sure she hadn't worn in years. Her gold tiara was gone. Her hair was in a simple braid down her back. But other things were different. Her pupils were black. Her hair was black. Her bright pink marks were missing. Even her hears were rounded.

"Are you trying to look human?"

"Well, I thought I might give it go. Besides, it's much easier than walking into a mall as an Adelain or one of two surviving Alteans. I can never get the gills right so human was the clear choice."

Pidge calculated in her head and nodded to herself.

"I'm sorry, I've just - I guess I'm just used to seeing you as Altean. I'm not used to seeing other humans out here. Let alone other girls. It just startled me I guess."

Allura dived down onto the planet and once safely in the atmosphere she patted Pidge's hand.

"It's okay. If you suddenly looked Altean, I might be concerned too."

They shared a laugh and Allura set the pod down near the other ships. The mall was huge and Pidge had no idea where to even go. She was happy that Allura was here instead of Hunk, all things considered. Pidge jumped from the pod and walked in tandem with Allura through the entrance, her partner seeming to know where she was going. Pidge raised her phone and snapped a few candid photos of Allura and then a few selfies together tagged #humans. She smiled and save the pictures, putting her phone back in her pocket after they were done goofing around.

"If it means anything, you pull off human very well." Pidge said quietly with a smile. Allura returned the smile and adjusted the purse across her torso.

"Well, if you hadn't modified the ship with your human encyclopedia, I wouldn't even know how to pull this off in the first place so thank you."

They walked through the mall quietly, Allura's eyes forward while Pidge looked from side to side, store to store. They arrived where Allura indented eventually and Pidge stopped dead at the threshold. Allura, who was already inside the store, turned to see Pidge with the most ridiculous look on her face, like she was seconds from laughing.

"Pidge?"

She couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a huge fit of laughter. Allura came up to her and covered her mouth.

"Quiet! We're trying to get in and out!" She took her hand back but watched the young paladin snicker again. "What could possibly be so funny?"

She gestured to the store in front of them, the pink colored theme, the fake alien models adorned in lace, the awful smell of about a thousand perfumes combined into one. She laughed again, quieter, and looked up to Allura.

"We have a store on Earth that looks exactly like this. It's a lingerie store too. It's just funny. Billions of miles away, I found a galactic Victoria's Secret." She almost lost it again when she finished and Allura just rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm.

"Be quiet! This is just our first stop. Kind of the most important one." She said and gave Pidge a look that made her quiet. They browsed through the store and finally found the small section that catered to species like her. Allura kept grabbing things that were either completely translucent or covered in lace, sometimes both.

"Allura, can we not get the super frilly ones? I guarantee you I am going to have to get new ones so spending money like that would be irrational. I'm not done growing. I just need something functional."

Her face fell and she pouted.

"You take all the fun out of a shopping trip. How am I even supposed to enjoy this? Do you expect Coran to come with me? Or Keith?"

"How about Shiro?" Pidge quirked an eyebrow.

Allura went red and she raised a finger to say a threat but it fell flat.

"You are not supposed to know about that." She said in a threatening tone.

"Oh, like how we're all not supposed to know about Lance and Keith? Noted." She laughed and walked further into the store. She looked around the section and back to Allura, a frown forming.

"Um… Allura? I don't know what size I am." She said with a tint of pink. Allura, who had previously been mad, rested a hand on her shoulder with a kind and soft smile.

"We can take care of that." She waved to a woman in a black dress and explained that her friend needed to be sized. The woman ushered Pidge into the back where she took a thousand measurements and then told her what she was in the 'bipedal' section. She was led back to Allura and the woman left.

"Well? You get your size?"

"First of all, I thought my first feel up would come from my boyfriend, not a woman in a shop. Second, I did but I think I should be a little offended at the name? I mean a lot of things could be bipedal. That's not very far off from an animal."

Allura laughed.

"Pidge, humans aren't very far from animals in the universal scheme of things."

Pidge folded her hands over her chest and sighed.

"Still, that was embarrassing as hell."

"So, what are we looking for?"

"She said I'm a 32C in this section, which I think is a lie because I don't really have much to work with, but I don't exactly know how the sizing of bras work. I might be wrong."

Allura had ignored her once she heard her size to look through the bras, grabbing as many as she could.

"Whoa! Okay, ground rules." Pidge made a timeout signal with her hands. Allura paused and waited. "Nothing too frilly. I just said I'm probably not done growing and I might have to come back and get new ones. Plus I am super hard on clothing considering my current, _occupation_ , and I'll tear right through them. Functional only."

Allura huffed and looked at everything they had to offer.

"How about a deal? Two really cute ones, two normal ones, and two extra durable ones for _work_." She said, picking up on her low key anxiety. Pidge nodded.

"Okay that seems fair. And I won't lie I do need new underwear too and I am sure you will make them match."

"Oh you know me too well Pidge." She said with a grin. She grabbed two that matched her skin tone (they had technology in the fabric to match her skin tone perfectly), two that were more heavy duty - plain back and racer back for extra support. Allura paused and turned to her with an idea.

"In this deal however, you have to pick the 'frilly' ones." Pidge went a bit pink again and looked through the different styles. After deciding for ages, she held them up to Allura. One was simple but very pretty; flat white lace over a pale green cup, and one that to Allura's surprise was a darker green, almost teal and strapless with a large lace pattern.

"How are these?"

"Oh those are so cute!" She smiled and put them in the bag she had grabbed while she had been busy deciding. "I can match these very easily! Oh stars, shopping is so much more fun with another girl!" She laughed and took off to grab as many panties as she could to match the bras while Pidge just shook her head.

In the end, they spent way more than planned after the first two stores but Allura didn't stop until all the money was gone. They left the mall tired and hungry, ready to go home. They managed to stuff all the bags into the pod with themselves, Pidge throwing herself in the pilot's seat. Allura gave her a smirk and Pidge laughed.

"Look, I fight an evil alien empire for a living but that, I can honestly say, was the weirdest few hours of my life. The least you can do let me fly."

She closed the hatch as the cloaking glass came over them and she let out a sigh, her hair turning silver, her pink pupils coming back, her ears and pink marks back to normal.

"Well, I am tired from holding such a ridiculous form for so long so I suppose I could let you."

Pidge smiled as they took off from the planet, waiting for Allura to open a wormhole for them and zooming through. On the other side of the wormhole, Pidge turned her head to the bags in the back and saw an extra one.

"Hey, where did that come from?" She asked and reached for it. Allura grabbed it in a flash and held it to her chest, her face darkened. It was from the first store they went to, but it was a smaller bag - probably only holding one or two items.

"I got it while you were busy gagging yourself with the lotions. It's mine."

Pidge neared the castle and hit the button for the hanger to open back up. She smirked as they landed.

"It's for you, sure. You and Shiro."

"I thought we agreed we'd never speak of this." She hissed.

"If I can't talk to you, who can I talk to?" Pidge asked, a little too innocently. Allura was fooled for a moment and then blew a stray piece of silver hair out of her face.

"I am not your mother but if I were I would restrict you from speaking to anyone for several quintants."

"But you're not." She said with a smile but it soon faded and she had a blank look on her face. Allura put a hand over hers to get her attention.

"I know you and I are related in no way, but you are like the younger sister I never had. And I hope you know that you and your four rowdy counterparts have stumbled into my life and filled a wonderful hole I didn't even know was there." She said softly and Pidge smiled, feeling less sad about missing her mother. They sat quietly for a while and Pidge steadied herself, almost laughing.

"If it helps, you can be annoying like a big sister."

"Yes, well, it's because I care. So I had better not see you in those clothes ever again."

"Only if you promise to help me figure out what to do with this mess." She said as she pointed to her hair, longer now than Keith's was when they had first come together. They shared a laugh and opened the pod hatch, Allura getting out while Pidge handed her down all the bags. When she finally climbed out, Hunk came running into the hanger.

"I am so glad you guys are back! Keith and Lance are fighting, Shiro can't calm them down, and Coran made it worse! This isn't one of those lover's quarrels either!"

"Say no more, I'm on it." She said, serious Princess Allura back online as she stormed towards the bridge. Hunk was trying to catch his breath and looked at Pidge and all the bags around her.

"Aw. You went to the mall without me." Hunk said and pouted. Pidge sorted through the bags and tossed him one. He raised an eyebrow and held it like he was afraid of it.

"You know I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. I got you something as an apology and also because it wasn't my money." She laughed and he opened the bag to find a box. The bag was abandoned and the lid of the box flipped back. His eyes lit up instantly and thanks were spilling from his lips. He sat on the ground and pulled out the shoes from the box; bright white soled with bright yellow and dark orange covering the sides with black laces. He tossed his battered boots aside and pulled both of them on, standing back up to feel them out.

"How do they look?" He asked, excited.

"Perfect." She smiled and loved how happy he was.

"How did you know I wanted something like this?" He asked, honestly curious.

"Those boots are old and I've seen the blisters they give you. Plus we all tend to buy clothes to match our lions."

"That's true." He looked behind her and saw all the bags, finally counting them. "Wow, you guy s bought like, the whole mall!" Pidge just shrugged.

"That's what happens when your body fucks you over and makes you get a whole new wardrobe. Not that I need this many clothes but Allura insisted." She smiled and looked down at her clothes. "She basically grounded me from ever wearing this outfit ever again."

"Aw no way. I love that shirt, it's cute." He said it before he could think and made them both blush. To avoid any more stupid slip ups, he grabbed a few bags.

"Hey, let me help you get all this stuff to your room."

"Sure!" She was thankful for not lingering on their conversation and grabbed bags with him. He paused on a large pink-striped bag and looked up at her, not sure if he was allowed to ask, if he should carry it, or forget he ever saw it.

"Oh, I'll uh - I'll get that one. Like I said, whole new wardrobe." She blushed and grabbed what she could, turning and walking towards the cabins. Hunk was completely red and dead silent behind her as he carried the majority of the load.

She was on the training deck later on one knee to tie her loose laces, bayard at her side. Even she had gotten new shoes, a nice sturdy pair of green sneakers. She heard the doors open and finished tying her shoe, standing and turning to see who it was. It was Hunk and Lance.

"Oh, is the fight over?" She smirked. Lance crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, resisting the urge to curse at her in Spanish.

"Look, he took my favorite jeans and he won't fess up to it. No one goes in my room but him and I know he took them but I don't have proof."

Pidge paused and looked to Hunk, who had seen Allura in human clothes, shaking his head slightly as if to say 'not a word'.

"Oh. Well, look again, I'm sure they are in there."

"They're not. I even pointed to Allura's new dress and mentioned that she had a better fashion sense than he did so I didn't know why he needed my pants. They don't match any of his stuff." He huffed and Pidge turned to face them fully, not just from the side. Lance looked her over. "Speaking of fashion sense, looks like someone got a makeover!"

She looked down and smiled. She had left her glasses in her room but she was different even from that down. Between her lack of glasses and her green shoes she had on a pale green tank top with oversized holes, her black sports bra easily visible but it was just another garment to her due to functionality. Paired with it were some black shorts Allura picked out in an active wear store; very form fitting so as to not snag on anything while training.

"Like it?" She asked, with a bright smile.

"Yeah you look awesome, right Hunk?" He ribbed him with his elbow and Hunk just let out a 'yeah'.

"It's just training clothes. My other stuff is way better."

"Oh training. Is that why you're hair is in a pretty little French braid?" Lance mocked. Pidge sighed and rolled her eyes.

" _Ce n'est pas pour la beauté_. It's to get it out of the way. Now if only I knew how to get you out of the way."

Lance laughed and held up his hands in defense. "Okay okay, I get it. Train or leave. I'm out, I did plenty this morning." He backed out and looked to Hunk. "You staying?"

"Uh, yeah. Go ahead without me." He mumbled, not able to take his eyes off Pidge. Lance shrugged and left.

Pidge looked to him. "So spar with me or take turns?"

"Um, you can go first."

She paused because he was in regular dress, not something he should be training in. Pidge didn't want to linger on it so she turned her back to him.

"Begin training level 5." A droid dropped from the ceiling and she picked up her bayard, ready to fight for her life. It had been too long since she actually trained and it was going to hurt.

Barely a minute in and she was so happy Allura had done her hair for her. It was staying in place expertly while she was getting her ass handed to her. Just when she thought she had an opening the droid turned and punted her across the room like a football. She slammed against the wall and faintly heard Hunk yelling out to her, begging for her to quit. _Never_. She stood back up and avoided countless attacks, her blood pounding in her veins. She fought for what felt like hours until finally she had an opening she could take. She shot her bayard forward and the hook went straight through it, ending the training sequence. She collapsed and was gasping for air, drenched in sweat.

"Pidge! Answer me!" She finally heard him yelling, running up to her.

"Whoo-hooo!" She yelled, pumping her fisted bayard in the air while the rest of her body didn't move.

"You're nuts. That was way too hard. You should have gone lower or-"

"Hunk stop." She said and tried to catch her breath, her chest heaving and tight. He waited for her and she switched hands, her bayard now in her left and her right empty and reaching for him. He helped her to her feet and she laughed, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"Oh, I am gonna feel that tomorrow." She said and laughed again. Hunk looked down at her, concerned.

"Pidge, I haven't seen you go that hard in a while."

"I know. I need to keep up with you guys." She smiled up at him. "You're on what, 9?"

He frowned. "We don't all have to be on the same level."

"Yeah well, Keith is on 10, Lance is on 8, Shiro is on 11. Seems like I'm the one who needs to catch up." She said and let out a shaky laugh. Hunk raised his eyebrow.

"Pidge, it's not a big deal."

"No it's cool. I'm behind in everything right? I'm smaller, I'm the youngest, I'm the only one dealing with this stupid shit-" she gestured to her body "- I'm the only female paladin. I'm the only one who can update our feline friends, so yeah. I'm kind of in an odd situation. I need to catch up. I need to work harder-"

"Katie." He said softly.

She stopped rambling and looked up at Hunk, surprised.

"Look, I know all of this isn't fun. And I know I can never understand because I'm a guy. And I know Allura will never understand because she's not human. But you are not going to stand here, in front of me, and try to convince me you're a weak link. Everyone brings something to the table. That's why we are such a good team." He took his hand and cupped her cheek. "And trust me, you are very important."

She smiled and turned pinker than her exercise had left her.

"Thanks, Tsuyoshi." She smirked and his face went dark red again. She laughed and took his hand in hers. "Don't worry, I'll never say it in front of anyone else."

He was shaken for a moment but then smiled. He pulled her into a hug.

"Ugh, Hunk no! I'm disgusting!" She tried to protest but he was too strong for her.

"No, you're adorable." He smiled, embarrassed but not really caring because hearing his real name come out of her made him feel high as a kite. He eventually let go and she was a deep red. Pidge tried to start a conversation that put him on the spot.

"So you like my new clothes?"

"Yeah, and I think we all need an update."

"Good luck! Allura and I just spent her whole wad. Again, her decision." She smiled and they talked towards the door, side by side.

"She looked good in Lance's jeans. Maybe she could take those instead of wearing that long dress all the time."

They both laughed and Pidge punched him in the arm.

"You have to take that to your grave. If Lance knew she wore them we would never hear the end of 'in my pants' jokes. And then Keith would kill him."

"Yeah, being down a paladin is no joke." He said and tugged at the end of her braid, emphasizing her importance as a paladin. She smiled and they exited the training deck and knew they would separate; her to shower and him to the hanger.

"Everyone on this ship is pairing off. First Lance and Keith, then Shiro and Allura. You've got Shay and Coran is too old for me." She sighed and stretched upwards. "I'm sure my alien boy is out there somewhere. Or girl. Whoever it is, I'm sure I'll find them." She turned towards her room and walked down the corridor, leaving Hunk behind.

Hunk bit his lip and nodded. "I'm sure you will." He said softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Although sleeping without a bra felt amazing, it felt weird now that she had something to support her during the day. At night when she came to her room to sleep, she shed a literal weight off her chest and felt a little bare. Pidge stood as her bra made a soft thud onto the floor, kicking it to the side and grabbing an oversized shirt and some loose shorts. Her initial intention was to sleep but after lying down for an hour she gave up.

However she, as any sensible woman, didn't want that thing back on her now that she was free. She shrugged to herself, figuring everyone was asleep and decided to go to the hanger and tinker around with Green or at least look at her specs since she had time. With no shoes or socks, glasses abounded for the night, she padded her way down the corridors as the blue lights activated along the way.

As she turned towards the hanger, she noticed that the corridor was already lit. She cocked an eyebrow and then saw Lance heading towards her. She nodded to herself, knowing they all had trouble sleeping and Lance's coping method was talking to Blue, something she was trying to copy.

"Hey." She said through a yawn.

"Hey Pidge. Can't sleep?" She shook her head and they met halfway. He stopped in front of her and laughed to himself.

"What?" She asked, her brain both slow and preoccupied with background thoughts.

"It's just… you really have no idea what to do with all that, do you?" He motioned to her hair. She reached up and felt the messy tick hair and exhaled a laugh.

"I guess not."

"I'll offer you a trade, I'll teach you to braid while you and I talk."

"Talk?" She was confused. That word held intent and a certain anxiety crept under her skin. Lance just nodded and she sighed, following him back into the hanger. He led her to the base of Green's paw and waited for her to sit down. Her bare thighs touch the cold floor, the hanger silent. He sat behind her and put a leg on either side of her, combing out tangles with his fingers.

"You know how we all deal with stress differently?"

She winced a bit, her hair being raked backwards but tried to listen.

"Yeah. You talk to Blue, Keith and Shiro train, Coran and Allura go over the ship specs and do repairs as well as talk and Hunk bakes and makes other food."

"Okay, well one of those things has been missing over the last few days." He said as he grabbed her hands and guided her to grab the strands. "Loop this one under."

She did as told and felt so odd braiding her own hair, it felt so backwards. She also had to try and keep up with the conversation. "What's missing?"

Lance's fingers guided hers and soon she was braiding her own hair, with difficulty but still doing it. "I haven't had any cookies. No one has."

Her hands paused and she was confused. She finished off the braid and Lance tied it off for her. She turned in his lap and pulled her ankles under her.

"What's wrong with Hunk?"

"I was hoping you knew. He's hasn't been himself since you were on the training deck. Hope you didn't punch the poor guy!" He laughed. Pidge looked down and tried to remember.

"No," she began. "We had a conversation where I rambled a lot about my own shortcomings as a teammate and a paladin. I told him that I'm far behind everyone. And that I'm in this super shitty situation."

"Yeah, feel that." He said and leaned back on his hands, Pidge sitting on the floor between his knees. "I felt like I wasn't fitting in as a paladin for the longest time. But you guys made me feel better about it. I felt needed. But that's beside the point. None of that would have messed up my big guy. What else did you talk about?"

She tightened her grip on her ankles and blushed.

"I made an offhand comment that everyone is pairing up out here and I don't have anyone." She paused and looked up to Lance with fear in her eyes. "You don't think he's trying to find someone for me do you? Oh man…" She raked her hands down her face. "I can't do that. I don't want to be set up. That's not how-"

"Whoa now, easy. He's not trying to play Doctor Love." He sat back up and rested his arms on his knees. "But now it makes sense."

"What does? If I made him upset, why didn't he come talk to me? We're supposed to be close." She said and there was a hint of pain in her voice. God her emotions sucked right now. She's supposed to be a strong smartass genius, not a puddle of anxiety and edging depression. Lance put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, it's not my place. But you really need to talk to him. Soon. You can probably get it out of him if you try."

Pacing outside of his room two hours later was not her intention either. She should have been in bed. She should have resisted the urge to knock on his door. She should have done a lot of things like sleep or maybe think of a million reasons not to do this but nothing was convincing enough. Her mind was too loud and won over any other thought than one. Her hand rapped on Hunk's door, well past midnight. It took a while but eventually he came to the door, hair a mess and in just a shirt and boxers.

"Pidge?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey. Wanna talk?" She asked in one breath, forcing it on him, pushing her anxiety out verbally. It took him a few ticks to understand and he yawned.

"Sure, come on in." He said and she bounded inside. He let the door close and left to go back to his bed where she was sitting. He grumbled and sat next to her, keeping his lights dim.

"Sorry for waking you." She said a little softer.

"No problem. So, what's on your mind?"

She paused and looked to him.

"This isn't about me. I asked if _you_ wanted to talk."

"Oh." He said softly and drawn out. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw him look to her with an uneasy chill sliding down his spine. "I mean, I don't have a whole lot to talk about at…" he reached to his wrist and illuminated his watch, "3:20 in the morning." He yawned again.

"I know its late slash early but I can't sleep. Lance told me you have something weighing on your mind…. And that it might be my fault?" She asked, having put the pieces together while pacing outside him room. With her eyes adjusted properly she saw his cheeks darken and his eyes search anywhere but her face. He looked at her pajamas, her braided hair, that way she curled into herself when she was anxious.

"Hunk?" He looked up at the fragile note in her voice and saw the concern in her eyes. " _Is_ it my fault?"

"It's not that easy." He said softly and looked down, putting his hands on his knees.

"It either is or it isn't my fault." She said a little less fragile and more annoyance dripping on her words. "You're my best friend. If I fucked up you are obligated to tell me. If not, you should still tell me what's wrong." She stopped and let the silence consume them, allowing it to become awkward and ebb into his own apprehension until he gave up. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, trying to settle the prickling feelings he had running down his spine still.

"I'm just really bothered that you think you're alone. I don't like hearing you shut yourself down like that."

"You're upset that I'm a mess then?" She asked with a grin of dark humor.

"It's not funny Pidge." He said with a serious tone he hardly ever used. Her grin dropped with a sigh, letting her gaze fall down to the bed. This time the silence worked on her guilt and made her feel even less like herself than she had lately.

"I'm sorry." She said her voice soft and slightly broken. She waited in the silence for him to tell her how to fix it. This entire situation. Instead, she received a misplaced comment.

"You're hair is cute."

She looked back up at him and they both shared dark cheeks, her eyes wide.

"And I like your new clothes. It's a big change but it suits you." He continued. He let the hand on his neck fall into his lap ungracefully. "And… Shay and I aren't together. I know everyone thinks we are but that's not how it is." He paused and looked her in the eye. "I don't feel that way about her." His last sentence was said delicately, like he had forgotten how to speak the only language he knew for a moment. Her expression changed between embarrassed to confused.

"You're upset because I think you're with Shay?"

He debated his answer and teetered his shoulders as an answer.

"That seems too small, but if that's what's driving you crazy I'm sorry. You are officially single." She smiled softly and he echoed her. "We can be single together and watch the old married couples fight." She laughed and the thought of Lance and Keith as old grandpas arguing made him laugh with her. They sat in a comfortable silence when they had calmed down and the anxiety started to melt away for both of them. Her sleepless nights suddenly hit her like a truck and she let a yawn slip out, stretching into it.

"Maybe you should get some sleep."

She didn't feel like she had gotten a full explanation out of him but was too tired to push the issue further.

"Sit with your feet apart." She said without warning.

He raised an eyebrow and adjusted his body, sitting with his knees and feet apart like Lance had earlier.

"Like this?"

She nodded and crawled up the bed, sitting between his thighs and leaned her back against him. He froze but she melted into his warm body. Eventually he smiled and wrapped his arms around her middle in a firm but relaxed hold. She let out a soft sigh and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes. She knew she was asking a lot from him and maybe crossing a line or two but she didn't care enough to stop. Her buried affections aside, Hunk always seemed to calm her down. He felt the same and rested his head against the wall at the head of the bed. At this point, with his own reservations, he was willing to take what she would give. He didn't feel like he crossed a line if she had initiated it. Which was why he hated the voice of reason that screamed louder than anything else in his mind.

"You shouldn't sleep here." He said while closing his eyes.

"Doesn't mean I can't." She mumbled and he exhaled a small laugh.

"Oh but what would the neighbors think?" He feigned an elderly woman's voice.

"That we had a good night." She laughed and he blushed. She turned her head to look at him through the corner of her eye. "Though, if they had to ask, they didn't hear how good it was." She said with a wicked grin. Hunk made a sound between a sputter and a choke.

"You can't say stuff like that!" He said in a harsh whisper, his face redder than it had been all night. "Besides, how would you know if you were loud?"

"Oh I wasn't talking about me." She said and the shock on his face made her laugh louder than she had in days. She faced forward and bumped her head against his chest.

"Jeez, I was just kidding Hunk."

"Why do I keep you?" He asked with an exaggerated mock frustration.

"Because you love me." She said with a smug smile and a laugh.

"Yeah, I do." He said softly. Pidge was sure she was reading too much into it, but when he said those words he seemed to be anxious yet relieved to say them out loud. He was. Even if it was in a platonic context, he had always loved her. Saying it out loud was easy because he always had but only recently was it crossing the line into romantic love. And trying to figure out where that line had gone was nothing short of stressful. The silence between them was filled with each of them drowning in their own minds and Hunk's heart started to race. Pidge felt the drum reverberating in her ears and looked back to him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just-" He cut himself off, not wanting to say he had a lot on his mind. She would start digging again and that was the last thing he needed. He quickly lied - the first time he has ever done so successfully. "I remembered a joke Keith told me."

"Oh, this ought to be good. His jokes are horrible lay it on me." She said and turned forward.

"Okay, listen carefully. Each time you get it wrong I'm gonna ask it even slower."

"It's a riddle-joke?"

"Yeah. Okay so, there are 30 cows in a field. 28 chickens. How many didn't?"

She was quiet and he saw her cock her head to the side a bit.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Just answer."

"I don't know? Two?" He laughed and repeated himself.

"There are 30 cows in a field." He said slower, like speaking to a child. "28 chickens. How Many didn't?"

"Hunk this makes no sense!"

They went back and forth like that a few times before he changed the pacing of his words.

"There are 30 cows in a field." He paused, laughing. "20. Ate. Chickens." He laughed again. How many didn't?"

"OH! Oh. Oh my god."

Hunk erupted in laughter and Pidge slapped his arm, resting her own hand over his and laughed with him. She looked down at her small hands on his.

"That's so dumb. I'm gonna kill Keith."

"If it's so dumb then maybe our team genius should have got it right away!"

"I'm a science and applied computer genius, not an English major!"

They fell back into a fit of giggles and they slowly slid down, Pidge shifting her weight to the side between Hunk and the wall. She adjusted herself and they found themselves almost nose to nose on the same pillow, her small frame fitting between the wall and him comfortably. Hunk had a look on his face that reminded her of the first time he got to see the engine parts of the castle's thrusters.

"What?" She asked with a laugh. He blinked and his face changed to confused.

"What?"

"You were looking at me like you look at EMG's." She smirked.

"Oh, sorry." He shut his eyes with the hint of a smile still on his lips. She scooted her face closer and bumped her nose into his. He opened his eyes and almost went cross-eyed.

"Tell me your secrets." She whispered in a fake child-like voice. He laughed and crossed his eyes at her very noticeably.

"Roll over." He whispered back. She shook her head but did so anyway, his only invitation to stay the night. He threw an arm over her middle and pulled her into him, her body fitting perfectly into the curve of his own. She smiled and reached for the blankets, his hands meeting her silent request. Under the covers they were warmed quickly thanks to Hunk's natural body heat. He rested his hand on her waist again, his hand feeling the soft curve that lead to her hips and blushed. He was about to pull away when Pidge rested on his and moved it slowly up her side, stopping at the edge of her ribs. Her shirt got caught between two of his fingers and came with it. He felt her warm, bare skin and panicked. He moved his hand forward to rest on her stomach but because of her movements, he was under her shirt. His brain screamed at him to stop moving and in response his body went rigid.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He squeaked and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm good." He said a little lower.

Pidge turned under his arm and faced him.

"You're being weird."

He narrowed his eyes at her and pulled his hand do that it was resting on her back, outside of her shirt.

"You're the one shoving my hand places. Just go to sleep."

She blushed but wasn't surprised at his response. She had crossed the line between 'okay' and 'not okay' long ago. She turned back toward the wall and grabbed his hand, placing it on her stomach outside her shirt.

"Just keep your arm around me okay?" She asked softly. "I'll sleep better."

"Alright." He said and closed his eyes, unconsciously pulling her closer. She fell asleep in his arms before he did, the darkness bleeding into his mind and blending with previous worries with the added fact that Pidge was in his arms, sleeping peacefully in his bed with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Pidge woke up before he did, feeling his shallow breathing, him deep asleep against her back. She smiled to herself and felt rested for the first time in a while. She moved slowly out of his arms and wormed her way out of the bed near the bottom. She looked back at him, checking to make sure he was still asleep. When she was positive he was, she left and waited for the door to close. She waited in the hall to make sure that he was going to stay asleep. When she was sure he wouldn't wake, she turned to trek back to her own bed.

The cold, empty corridors made her smile fade, one word echoing in her mind; Alone. She felt alone. It had no logic considering she had a family of 6 on board the Castle of Lions with her. Adopted and formed under odd circumstances, but still a family. She even had friends all across the universe now. Alone was not something she should feel. However, the quiet walk back to her room sapped the warmth and contentment she had felt just minutes ago, logical or not. It brought her back to her original purpose for everything she had been doing over the past two years. She needed Matt. She needed her partner in crime. Although 4 years separated them, they might as well be twins. Even Hunk thought she was Matt in the picture she carried with her at first.

She ran her hand along the smooth wall to feel the small lines where the metal panels connected. It grounded her and let her get to her room in one piece. As the doors closed behind her, she felt herself falling to pieces. Her legs carried her to the wall across from her bed, which was covered in pictures, wires, and even shoelaces, along with cryptic equations and her old picture of herself and Matt in the middle. She ran her fingers over the edge of the picture and her heart ached. She wasn't whole and no amount of friends or saving the universe or romantic partners could fix that. No one could take Matt's place, not even Lance.

She choked back a sob to bring herself up from the ditch with a good dose of reality. Looking over all the information she had gathered, she felt like he was just an arm's reach away. Through all Galra surveillance and intel, she knew he was alive with a group of rebels, presumably fighting in the same war she was. It was somehow a comforting thought.

"I'll never give up," she promised softly as her hand dropped from his picture. "I know you think I'm on Earth and that no one is looking for you, but I am. I won't stop until I find you… both of you." She sighed and let a few tears roll down her cheeks. Rarely did she let herself go down this dark road. She was usually fierce and determined and stubborn, but right now, with her thoughts on Matt and her father, she was vulnerable and in pain. She wiped her face ungracefully and took in a few breaths to calm herself. "Stupid hormones," she mumbled.

A knock came at her door and she put on her best poker face. When it slid open, the person on the other side surprised her.

"Keith?" Her eyes went wide and her poker face dropped. "What are you doing here - I mean, up so early?"

He hesitated, trying to chose his words carefully. "I saw you leave Hunk's room and I kind of followed you." He paused to gauge her reaction, but her face didn't change. "You looked so happy, but something between his room and now happened. You were walking so slowly, almost like your mind was somewhere else." He paused again to take in her slightly red nose and puffy eyes. "Are you okay?"

She sniffed and regretted it immediately, giving Keith her best smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I couldn't sleep, Hunk and I needed to talk, I fell asleep in his room and woke up a little bit ago. So I came back here to try and get more rest."

He looked down at her and he didn't speak. He rarely slept himself so he understood taking advantage of whatever helped. However, she did not look rested, nor at peace.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But you're not okay so don't lie to yourself that you are."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" She spit back, insta-pissed. "You lie to yourself all the time, so don't tell me I can't bury a skeleton or two Keith."

He sighed, unaffected by her words. "I just wanted to help. I know you've been going through a lot lately and it's not always the best road to travel alone."

His words were calm and sincere, helping her slowly let go of her misdirected anger. She looked him over a few times and stepped to the side, her arm motioning for him to come in. He followed her lead and as the door closed behind him, his eyes were drawn to the pictures and strings on her wall. He stepped closer to the puzzle and tried to take it all in. The information was scattered - some of it clear, some of it needing to be deciphered, especially her shorthand. Pidge came to his side, silently wondering if he were judging her.

"Look familiar?" She asked softly, remembering his board in the desert that led them to the Blue Lion.

"Yeah. Looks like a lot of work too." His eyes continued to rake in the information, trying to figure it out. His eyes fell on the center picture of the happy siblings. "How close are you?"

"Close enough to drive me crazy."

In the silence that followed, she watched Keith look over the mess of information, pictures, and codes just as eagerly as she had written them. It made her realize he knew exactly how she felt and that she really wasn't alone.

"You know we're going to find them." He encouraged. "It may not be priority for the team above defeating Zarkon, but we will find them."

She nodded and he turned to meet her gaze, letting her see the same determination she had so often shown herself.

"You should get some sleep. I know that all of this…" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Your changes, our team, your family, the war - it's a lot to take in. And I'm sure it's hard to not think about it all, but you can't keep running like this. You're overwhelmed." He took his hand back and smirked. "I know it's the pot calling the kettle black, but even I have my vices. I train, I analyze previous battles, sometimes I even ask lance to help me sleep." He turned a bit pink but continued. "If Hunk helps you sleep then talk to him about it. He may be more willing to share his bed every now and then."

She turned red at his words and looked away from him. He put a hand on the back of his neck.

"It doesn't have to mean anything like that, but I guess that's for you two to decide."

She nodded and he reached down to ruffle her head a bit, careful of her braid. He turned towards the door and let it slide open for him.

"Now where are you going?"

"I've already trained my ass off tonight. I'm going to bunk with Lance. You should get some sleep too."

The door slid shut behind him and she let out a breath. Should she go back to Hunk? Even if it was just for peaceful rest? Or should she stay in her own room and try again? She wasn't sure. She was exhausted and she couldn't think. She needed sleep and that was the bottom line. Her lack of cognitive function made her choice for her. To get sleep no matter what it took, even if that meant sleeping with Hunk more often than she wanted to admit.

Her legs carried her to his door before she even registered that she had left her room. She watched as her body walked right into Hunk's room, no knock or anything, as if she belonged there. Though he was still asleep, he had turned in her wake, his back against the wall. She smiled softly and slipped under the covers as he wound an arm around her middle. She sunk down into the warmth and felt at ease instantly.

"Where'd ya go?" He grumbled. She bit her lip, his voice so tired and sounding disappointed.

"Bathroom." She whispered back and he grunted in acknowledgement. Hunk gripped Pidge tighter to him and she almost giggled, feeling light and carefree all over again. When he entered back into sleep, she felt the familiar burning in her eyes and the pull of her consciousness tilting down. The house of his heart beating like a slow soft drum took her under, falling asleep just as fast as he had.

In the morning she awoke alone. Pidge turned her head to the side and found the bed empty, sheets still warm from where Hunk had been. She took her hand back and curled it under her chest, too tired to investigate, and closed her eyes again. Maybe he needed breakfast or something. She wasn't sure but her brain didn't want to work so early. It had only felt like a few seconds when a hand came to her shoulder and rubbed her arm softly. When she finally opened her eyes, she was met with a bright and boisterous pair of coffee colored eyes that sent sparks off in her mind and a thrill on the back of her neck.

"Morning." He whispered and smiled.

"Hey." She replied quietly, matching his smile with a disgustingly lovesick grin of her own.

"I brought food."

Pidge laughed and rolled onto her back. "Breakfast in bed? You know how to treat a girl right."

He blushed at her words but it went unseen. She sat up slowly and let the covers fall around her waist, looking to see what he had brought. Her eyes went wide and she was instantly more awake, looking at the plate. She had almost forgotten the word.

"Are those… pancakes?!"

Hunk smiled and nodded. "I've been messing around with recipes and this is the closest I've gotten. It's kind of hard when your base is green food goo. If it's bad I'll get something else - "

Pidge was already digging into the oddly green round sponges, making those food moans everyone makes in private.

"Oh my god.. How - " She swallowed. "How did you get them to taste like buttermilk and maple syrup?" She eyed him suspiciously. He shrugged.

"It's a gift. So, they're good?"

"They're amazing!" She shouted, her mouth full again. He laughed and watched her finish, eating as if she had forgotten how good food could be. When she was done, she pushed the tray away and laughed. "You have to make that for everyone. But special occasions only." He chuckled softly and took her tray.

"Glad to know my cooking skills are still working."

"That was the best breakfast I've had in years. Thank you." She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

It was a mistake.

She knew it was a mistake the second her lips touched his skin. She knew by the way time seemed to stop, the air becoming like static around them. She knew when his arm stopped midair between their bodies. She knew when he pulled back and his eyes were completely unreadable, staring at her like she was a cypher waiting to be decoded. That focus in his eyes that she's never seen. Pidge knew when, under the pressure of his eyes, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. It was a mistake. A line crossed. And yet, time started again and his arm moved closer to her slowly. The knuckle of his index finger held her chin high. His eyes had changed in those seconds. They were burning with questions now, searching her own frantic stare for answers.

He kept her at a short distance, just close enough to hear her breathing and look into her eyes. She was terrified. Not because of him, but because of what she had just thrown away. Everything they had was gone but he kept looking at her like she was an abstract painting. She tried to breath but the air around her was consumed with his shampoo and the breakfast he had brought her. She wished so hard in that moment that space a scent so she could think of it to clear her mind, but she was without an anchor, something to help her form a clear apology. Only a few seconds had passed but Hunk's silence and star lates eons for her anxious heart. With her eyes wide as fast, she tried to take in one last look at him before the other shoe dropped - His beautiful brown skin, his soft eyes, his rough stubble, the way his hair fell in his face without it being tied away. This was how she wanted to remember him… Because it had been a mistake.

She watched as her crumbling world was put on pause. Hunk closed his eyes, tilted her chin to the side, and kissed her lips so softly that the only proof it was real was the feel of her own lips refusing to let go. It was one kiss. Not moments of parting and coming back together, but one instance of their lips touching tenderly. Her first kiss and possibly the softest was warmest kiss in the known universe.

He pulled away and she realized her eyes had been open the entire time. His eyes opened and his emotion was clear. Though it was described in many ways and seen in different stages, she refused to label it.

"I'm sorry," She whispered and many thing crossed his eyes. She didn't want to let him stop her. "I like you and I took advantage of your kindness and no one deserves that. Hunk, I'm so sorry-"

"Do you really think I let you take advantage of me?" He asked quietly but he had the smallest smirk on his face. She was frozen with utter confusion until he cupped her cheek and kissed her again, this time making a through pass to make himself clear. When he pulled back she felt breathless and lightheaded.

"For a genius, you miss the most obvious things." He mused and dropped his hand, giving her forehead a kiss.

"How are you so calm right now?!" Was all she was able to sputter out, her brain short circuiting.

"Because this was a two way street. My biggest worry is gone. I've liked you for the longest time but I've been too worried about everything else to tell you." He paused and looked down with a sad smile. "I'm not brave like Shiro, I'm not smooth like Lance, I'm not daring like Keith - "

"You're perfect." She said softly and he looked up at her, stopping mid sentence in surprise. "You are all of that. You're also smart, funny, and kind. You have intuition that's as reliable as the sunset back home and you put others before yourself. You're the best guy out here." She paused and blushed. "Plus you're really handsome." She added quietly.

"Yeah, well… I could have told you sooner and I just listed all the reasons why I couldn't."

"Stop." Pidge demanded and kissed him, letting her hands run up his face. She loved the way his short stubble felt under her fingertips and she couldn't get over the feel of his lips on hers, moving like a practiced art made perfect.

When they pulled away, grins quickly turned into giggles and chuckles, both of them think how 'high school' the entire situation was. She smiled and put her head against the wall, looking at him like he was the sun. Then it dawned on her.

"That's why you were upset."

"Hmm?" She broke him from his daydream like state.

"You were upset because I said that everyone was pairing up and that my alien love was out there somewhere, totally ignoring you right next to me."

"Yeah…" He admitted and blushed.

"But I didn't want an alien romance… I wanted you. I just didn't know… I thought I really was alone in this."

He shook his head and smiled again.

"Nope. I mean if you find someone on some planet that you love more, by all means-"

"Stop right there." She pointed her finger at him. "No one and will ever have my back like you do or understand me like you do. It's out of the question."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Put the gun down." He smiled and she laughed a bit, putting her hand down. She let her head thunk against the wall and let out a small groan.

"Ugh…"

"What's wrong?" Hunk asked and put a hand on her knee. She miled down at his hand and took a breath.

"Well, I spent the night, you brought me breakfast, we made out, and now we have to go our separate ways and I have to get to my room without someone seeing my awful bed head and thinking its sex hair, all while keeping us on the DL while we figure this out."

Hunk shrugged. "What's to figure out?"

She thought for a moment and smiled. "You're right." She leaned over and pulled him into another kiss. It lasted much longer than the others, her pulling him a little too hard towards her. He hovered over her and had to pull away.

"Okay, I'm going to find you a comb before that does turn into sex hair."

Pidge's eyes went wide and hunk laughed.

"You're not the only one who can tell jokes!" He said between chuckles. He dodged a pillow and laughed louder. When he was in his bathroom she rested her head against the wall and smiled, letting out a small and relived bit of laughter.


End file.
